This story of Jesus feeding the five thousand appears in various forms in other Gospels.

A children’s book tells this story. A young boy has heard that Jesus is coming near and he wants to go see and hear him. However, neither the boy’s father or mother can take him. Along comes an uncle who is going and agrees to take the boy with him.

The boy’s mother will not let him leave without packing him a lunch, five loaves and two fish.

Off they go, and when the disciples go through the crowd looking for food, the boy gladly gives them all that he has. When the five loaves and two fish are placed in Jesus’ hands and blessed, they become more than enough to feed all those present.

For us the lesson is simple. Like the little boy, if we freely give what we have to Jesus, then it will be more than enough to feed everyone. There are those of us that have the food and are willing to give it but need help in getting it to those that need it. There are some of us that don’t have the food but can be the hands and feet of Jesus to get it where the needs to be.

Ever present and loving God, help me share your love by freely giving and doing the things that please you.

This devotional was written by Alvin Jenkins and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

A pivotal figure in the book of Psalms is King David. Each of the Psalms shows a different aspect of the life of King David and his unwavering faith in his Lord, which is what I find perhaps the most impressive about David as a character.

What I find even more impressive about David is how far back this faith traces: to his battle with Goliath, in which it seemed the odds were stacked against him, armed only with a slingshot and several stones, while his adversary towered over him and wielded a sword. However, despite these terrifying odds, David stood strong in the face of adversity, placing his trust in the Lord, and was able to slay the giant.

David is a testament to the Lord being his strength and shield, as the Lord helped him through what should have otherwise been an impossible battle. However, due to his unwavering faith and trust, he was able to stand strong in the faith of adversity and have God as his strength and shield. In modern times, it is easy to feel that our battles are impossible or likened to Goliaths, however, we should all strive to be like David and let the lord be our strength and shield, for as long as we place our trust in him, he will help and protect us always.

Dear God, help us always remember that while we may face some harsh battles, like David, that you are with us. May we place our faith in you so you may be our strength and shield now and always. Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded by Grace Jonas.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

This is the famous story of Jesus and his disciples feeding the 5,000, the crowd that had gathered around Jesus. It appears in all four of the gospels, but in the verses we just read, we don’t hear the end of the story. We should pay attention to the way in which this story develops.

The problem is enormous. Five thousand people need to be fed. Jesus asked Philip what he should do, and Philip, typical of the disciples and typical of many of us, simply describes the problem. A half a year’s wages would not feed all of these people adequately.

Another disciple, Andrew, brings to Jesus, a small boy who has only five loaves and two fish, and Andrew is quick to point out how little this is compared to the problem that they face.

We face enormous problems. Wars and cruelties surround us. Climate change is upon us. Our political and social systems are wracked with division. Even the church has problems that seem insurmountable. And we have so little to offer. Our resources are totally inadequate, and, as shown here, there are always people who are willing to point that out.

We fear that we cannot solve these problems, and the temptation for us is to give up.

It is certainly true that in facing many of our problems, both personal and social, we lack to resources to solve them or even to make much difference. But then we remember what happened in this particular story. Jesus took the bread and the fish that the little boy had brought and blessed it. And after that, in a short amount of time, everyone in that multitude was fed and satisfied, and there was food leftover.

In facing the problems that we have today, what if we simply presented the small resources that we have or did the inadequate things that we could do, and then we asked Jesus to bless those things. What do you think might happen?

Would you pray with me? Our Father, we do not need to be reminded that our resources and efforts are totally inadequate to solve many of the problems that we face. We do need to be reminded of your power and your grace and the way it works in all situations. Help us to rely not on the resources that we have but on the abilities and resources of your spirit. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.